Today we’d like to introduce you to Pesh Patel.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was born in the England, and moved with my family in 1986. We moved to northeast Mississippi and my parents bought a small motel and therefore my introduction into the hospitality industry was at age 9. On most weekend, instead of playing football or basketball with friends, I was helping clean rooms with my family. Today, my family still owns two hotels (one in Louisiana and one in Texas) which I still help oversee. 5 years ago, I made the decision to begin a different path…instead of owning and operating, I wanted to help design and develop hotels…globally. The journey started by attending the International Hotel Motel & Restaurant Show (IHMRS) in New York in 2012 (now known as The Hotel Experience (HX)). I began networking with people who were already doing what I wanted to do. After a year of continuous networking and research, I came to the conclusion that the hospitality market in the US was becoming rather saturated, and I need to look internationally for opportunities. This led me, eventually, to ExpoReal in Munich, Germany in 2014. It was an eye opening conference where various companies, as well as cities and regions in Europe were present showcasing what they had to offer. From all of the meetings I scheduled and the speakers I listened to, the two that I spent the most time with were representatives from Chile and Scotland. A month after the conference, after numerous emails and phone calls, I was invited by the Foreign Investment Committee of Chile (CIE) to be a part of a delegation to Chile to take part in meetings and discuss how to increase foreign investment from a tourism perspective into Chile. I was fortunate to meet President Bachelet as well as her Foreign Ministers and I am still in talks with Hilton to develop properties in Chile. Later in 2015, I traveled through Scotland and met with government officials and am still discussing two deals in that country. The one other country that I am involved with projects in is Australia. I was just there in April/May and we have 2 deals we are working on currently. One of the properties will be a mixed use 5 star project, while the other is a 4 star, full service hotel. We are hoping to break ground on both of these sites by April 2018. Although the current projects are international, we are looking at potential opportunities in Houston, as well as the US, and by 2019, another goal is to create “The Knightsbridge Foundation” where we can give back to the city of Houston, as well as cities in which our projects are based internationally.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been far from a smooth road. Since my family only has two small hotels in two small towns, getting people to know not only who I am, but also what I can offer and what my vision is, was a battle. I am never afraid to pick up the phone and speak to someone…but when you speak to someone about developing a 200 room full service project, the questions are usually “Who are you with again?!” and “What have you done?!” Fortunately, I have friends and family who are in the hospitality business and I was able to help consult on a few projects that I could refer to. It has taken 5 years for me to get to this stage, where now, when I am in meetings in Melbourne or Glasgow, I am referred to as “an expert.”
Please tell us about Knightsbridge Hospitality.
My initial goal with Knightsbridge Hospitality was to be able to design and develop hotels globally. Through this journey, we do much more than that. Whether it is a client who has land but it not familiar with the hospitality industry and they want a hotel built, or it’s someone who already owns a hotel and needs advice on increasing profitability or just needs an asset manager…any and everything dealing with hospitality, we can help. What sets us apart is the boutique service we like to provide to all clients…we limit the number of projects we work on to ensure we provide superior service. The other aspect that separates us is our food and beverage consulting. There are times when a hotel is operating well, however, the food and beverage aspect is under-performing. Our Director of Food and Beverage is from Italy and has worked with renowned chefs such as Daniel Boulud and Heinz Beck. Every project we are involved with will be charged with providing each and every guest with an unforgettable experience…making the hotel and/or the restaurant a destination, not just a place to sleep, drink and eat.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite memory would be when I first went to school in Amory, Mississippi. Until then, there were no students or teachers that were anything but black or white. Although I was “different”, and after the initial question by some classmates of “are you black or white?” everyone welcomed me in. Moving from north London to northeast Mississippi was a culture shock to say the least, but I will always consider Amory as my hometown!
Pricing:
- $10,000 Engagement Fee…rest of fees are determined by scope of project
Contact Info:
- Website: www.knightsbridgehospitality.com
- Phone: 2252781788
- Email: [email protected]
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
